This standing nude female figurine with arms bent and hands resting against the stomach is typical of coroplastic art of the Late Cypriot II and III periods. Characteristically, it has a birdlike face, large nose, and large pierced ears with earrings in clay. The pubic triangle is accentuated and the breasts are clearly shown, perhaps indicating that it is a fertility goddess. In this particular instance, the goddess is holding an infant. This type of figurine may be Syrian in origin; Cypriot sculptors, during this period, adopted the type and created their own variation.

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Citation

"Nude female with birdlike face holding an infant [Cypriot; Said to be from NicosiaAyia Paraskevi]" (74.51.1542) In
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/74.51.1542. (October 2006)